Day 16: Am I a Minister?
OPENING PRAYER
Spend 5 to 15 minutes in prayer about the following:
- Jesus’ mission to bring people into the Kingdom of God
- Your role in that mission
BIBLE
Read John 16
- What did you learn about yourself?
- What did you learn about God?
- What will do differently based upon what you read?
MEMORY VERSE
Read the following passage out loud. Repeat it five times. Make sure to say the verse address both before and after the passage
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
STUDY
Last week, we referenced Ephesians 4:11, which says:
So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…
Paul understood that Jesus’ plan was for all His followers to be ministers. Christ specifically tasks some (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teacher) to prepare all for ministry. That means that when He saved you, God chose you for ministry.
Now, being a minister does not mean everyone is going to quit their jobs to serve in full-time vocational ministry. To the contrary, the most powerful ministry happens outside the confines of weekly church meetings. Ministry happens during breaks at work when someone prays alongside a suffering co-worker. Ministry happens on the sideline when someone shares Christ’s love with their kid’s team-mates parents. It happens when someone takes a meal to a neighbor because they are dealing with an injury or sickness.
Not only does Jesus call you into ministry, but He has also shaped you for a particular kind of ministry. This week’s memory verse (Ephesians 2:10) reminds us that we were created to “do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Therefore, one of the greatest adventures in following Jesus is to discover your unique calling and ministry.
Ministry is, very simply, how we serve God and others. Using the following verses, see if you can figure out the three different directions of ministry:
- We minister to ______________________________ (Deuteronomy 6:5).
- We minister to ______________________________ (Hebrews 6:10).
- We minister to ______________________________ (Matthew 5:14-16).
As a church, we must have a balanced ministry. This means we need people who minister upward toward God in worship and devotion, people who minister inward toward the church body in equipping and care, and people who minister outward toward the world in service and evangelism.
When ministering to people, what are the types of needs we minister in?
- ______________________________ needs (Matthew 25:35-36).
- ______________________________ needs (1 Thessalonians 5:14, Romans 12:15).
- ______________________________ needs (1 Corinthians 2:13).
When we minister to people inside and outside the church, we are called to address physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, but fulfilling those needs are not the ultimate reason we minister to others. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, what is God’s end-purpose for your ministry?